100 °C.

Oy vey. Here we go again. I don’t mean to be such a Frankie Boyle apologist… BUT…

Here’s the joke: “I’ve been studying Israeli army martial arts. I now know 16 ways to kick a Palestinian woman in the back. People think that the Middle East is very complex but I have an analogy that sums it up quite well. If you imagine that Palestine is a big cake, well… that cake is being punched to pieces by a very angry Jew.”

Frankie Boyle made this joke on a radio show called Political Animal in 2008. The official apology from the BBC in the past week. The individual complained, it was reviewed, and if I understand correctly, the producers agreed and promised to take preventative measures in the future. The complainant felt that wasn’t enough so he went higher up and whatever official committee they have handling these matters reviewed it and only now did they issue an official apology. Full details about the hullabaloo here.

Primero: Just from reading the joke I don’t find it very funny. I wonder how it sounded, but I’m too lazy to dig around and search for the audio.

Segundo: I’m really irritated by the complainant for a very minor reason. I understand it is commonly accepted that “antisemitic” is mostly used in relation to Jewish people. If I’m not wrong, however, Arabs are considered a Semitic people. So saying that Frankie was being antisemitic doesn’t really fly in this occasion. Besides, there’s plenty of other negative words we could use in regard to Frankie’s brand of humor. Heh.

Tercero: Regardless of what you think about the complaint situation, Frankie’s open letter in regard to Palestine got me verklempt. Seriously, READ IT. Clearly the BBC apology bothered him enough to actually say something, so I don’t doubt he has thought about this long and hard and means everything he says in the letter. Probably the most impressive statement made about the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict since Jon Stewart invited Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti on his show. (Watch here: Part 1 and Part 2) I’m not saying Israel shouldn’t exist, it’s not about shitting on Israel. I recognize that there are way too many complex issues that I won’t delve into, but basically, the current situation clearly is NOT and HAS NOT been working for… well, ever since the state was established. I think the most important thing I take away from Frankie’s letter is the idea of COMPASSION.

Cuarto: I’m also incredibly irritated by the headlines in regard to his open letter, which are most often quoting Frankie’s statement that “the BBC are cowards.” I feel like one of the downsides of Frankie being pegged as a rabblerouser and for being known as “controversial” is that so many people are going to be focusing on how this is a comedians versus censorship issue. As inappropriate as he may be, there is heft in his words and I was very touched by the last bit of his letter. It would be cool if people would take this as a good starting point to educate themselves and to demand a better, non-violent solution from their governments.

Quinto: That said, what the fuck is going on with the BBC? The whole Brand/Wossy/Sachs shit sent them spinning into a frenzy–it feels like post-“wardrobe malfunction” United States! What I don’t understand is how it only takes one person to be offended for the BBC to take some official action (even if it’s just a statement). What does it take to push people into demand such action anyway? Whatever happened to people just getting a blog and vaguely threatening the lives of comedy writers anyway?

Even more importantly, why is it difficult to understand that something a comedian says is not a reflection of an entire fucking broadcasting corporation and may, in fact, not be a completely accurate reflection of the comedian’s attitude? In this case it is, but it’s not always so—I mean, let’s not confuse the persona for the person. Newsflash! Humor requires close reading too! You can’t just take words at face value!

I’m not sure why the BBC is quaking in fear at its own audience. The biggest problem for me is that it seems like they’re just panicking now, to the detriment of the quality of their programs. Frankie delves into that too. The suppression of certain perspectives is troubling. Of course it’s possible to shrug it off when it comes to a comedy show, but it just makes me question how widespread this self-censorship is. To what degree, for example, does it affect the real news? This sort of behavior on their part makes me trust them that much less.

Sexto: so, who’s next in line to be offended by something Frankie says?